Ram said no I am on my own with this.

[Cactusmonkey]

Things like that happen but splitting was a good idea. We have always had a dog and sometimes two. Things happen. Just back from meeting with the dealership's general manager. He was shocked and said that he will go to bat for us on this. No matter what they decide we have an appointment at a body shop to fix it next month. Three estimates and they all said factory defect.

 

[Randy Grant]

Look just like the ones on my Ram, and the ones that were on my '06 Duramax. Happens from all the road debris and gravel/sand that most states put down for snowy/icy road conditions. It's called life. Get used to it.

 

[18harvest]

Brand new Limited Longhorn 1500. It came from the factory with rear fender extenders. They are painted the same color as the truck. Drove it from Washington state to Arizona, had to pass through Oregon on the way. Oregon uses a nasty kind of rock on the roads in winter for the snow and ice. Got to Arizona and noticed that the paint on the extenders was chipped on both sides of the truck. The clear protector didn't cover the extenders to the body just part way. Took a picture and sent it to the dealer, no reply. In April back in Washington took it to the dealer for the first oil change and told them about it. They took pictures and sent them to the factory rep. In July I asked what happened and they told me, Ram does not fix chips. I called customer care and they seemed like they would do something but after a week I called again and was told the claimed had been denied. 72 thousand dollar truck and now I am stuck with a 750.00 repair bill. This is our first Ram and looks like our last one. Nice truck but bad customer service.

Brand new Limited Longhorn 1500. It came from the factory with rear fender extenders. They are painted the same color as the truck. Drove it from Washington state to Arizona, had to pass through Oregon on the way. Oregon uses a nasty kind of rock on the roads in winter for the snow and ice. Got to Arizona and noticed that the paint on the extenders was chipped on both sides of the truck. The clear protector didn't cover the extenders to the body just part way. Took a picture and sent it to the dealer, no reply. In April back in Washington took it to the dealer for the first oil change and told them about it. They took pictures and sent them to the factory rep. In July I asked what happened and they told me, Ram does not fix chips. I called customer care and they seemed like they would do something but after a week I called again and was told the claimed had been denied. 72 thousand dollar truck and now I am stuck with a 750.00 repair bill. This is our first Ram and looks like our last one. Nice truck but bad customer service.

²

 

[18harvest]

I am with you I would be ****** also.those are factory flares.looking at them I honestly cannot believe the actual paint on the body isn't damaged.i might would try a different dealer.did the dealer show you any documentation on rams decline? 800.00 seems high to me especially white paint unless it is metallic or a special shade.if you get them repainted I would have them covered with clear 3m before reinstalled

 

[18harvest]

the new board design edits you.how about that.who thought passed with an i instead of an a would get asterisked

 

[Timsdually]

I am with you I would be ****** also.those are factory flares.looking at them I honestly cannot believe the actual paint on the body isn't damaged.i might would try a different dealer.did the dealer show you any documentation on rams decline? 800.00 seems high to me especially white paint unless it is metallic or a special shade.if you get them repainted I would have them covered with clear 3m before reinstalled

Didn't read the whole thread, but if only the fender flares got chipped and not the actual body sheet metal, then those flares did exactly what they were designed to do...protect the body sheet metal from rocks and debris from damaging the body paint.
You should be glad they were there. Otherwise, you would be painting the truck, which of course is nothing more than a "Comprehensive" claim on your insurance policy.

 

[Cactusmonkey]

I appreciate all of your thoughts and comments. Here is my take on what Ram should do and not do. If I just settled and went away to get it fixed and not say anything and you do the same with whatever is not right with your truck or car. Then they can build whatever they want and we could be back in the 70's and 8o's driving junk. Remember the Vega and Pinto. I want the American manufactures building quality cars and trucks.

 

[TruckNut]

Things like that happen but splitting was a good idea. We have always had a dog and sometimes two. Things happen. Just back from meeting with the dealership's general manager. He was shocked and said that he will go to bat for us on this. No matter what they decide we have an appointment at a body shop to fix it next month. Three estimates and they all said factory defect.

Glad you are getting it resolved. Perhaps if it were better paint or applied and prepped better it wouldn't have chipped, as much. Rocks are going to ding it regardless, so this time get some clear protective covering that goes to the body line and you should be good. Flaps help reduce rock chips even if some regard them as unsightly.

 

[LSU04_08]

Didn't read the whole thread, but if only the fender flares got chipped and not the actual body sheet metal, then those flares did exactly what they were designed to do...protect the body sheet metal from rocks and debris from damaging the body paint.
You should be glad they were there. Otherwise, you would be painting the truck, which of course is nothing more than a "Comprehensive" claim on your insurance policy.

The debris hit his paint as well, but the resistall coating protected the paint. The debris was slung all over the truck, it just affected the flares.

 

[BWL]

Just get some touch up paint and live with it. Mine are down to black plastic on the front corners for an inch or so. I have the heavy rubber mopar mud flaps and the wheel to wheel side steps. Still sandblasts that area going down a gravel or sanded road. Touch up that low is barely noticeable and it will keep happening. Some film would help, but you'd have to replace it occasionally.

 

[18harvest]

Touch up paint isn't going to help him.these things look like they have been sandblasted

 

[BWL]

You can get the spray cans of color match from mopar off the vin. Tape off the area around it and spray. Mine look much the same. I gave a light sand a sprayed my old ones and you really couldn't tell at all. It blended in really well. You can add protective film once cured. It's plastic so it's not like it'll rust if not prepped perfect. As you can see running boards and mud flaps didn't stop it. Option 2 is get white vinyl that's a close match and just cover it up. It will chip again and plastic doesn't rust. Waste of money to keep getting them professionally painted.

 

[Timsdually]

My dually comes from the factory with the protective film on the lower part of the bed sides. I bought mud guards from WeatherTec to protect more area.

 

[Randy Grant]

Rock chips have been happening since cars broke the 25 mph barrier. There have been scientists, home workshop inventors, and products on the market, spray-on and stick-on, for 50 years now. Anyone with any foresight at all knows that any forward facing part of the vehicle/motorcycle/body, arte going to get whacked with a rock. That's why we have windshields. That is why one of the first things that many of us look at what we can do to mitigate the damage, hence forth, mud flaps. running boards, and PPF. Rock are sharp and paint is soft and the dealers and or manufacturers don't put paint damage in the warranty. Figure it out.
Life is short. Fix what you can fix, live with what you can't fix, and be smart enough to know the difference.

 

[BigLazer4u]

My 2019 power wagon blew out a puff of blew smoke almost every single start since the beginning. Brought it to the dealer multiple times only to hear the regular “could not replicate the problem” “thanks for documenting it” etc. hence the truck is sold and I made money on it in today’s market. If they will act like that about an internal engine issue, what do you think they will say about your paint job from a rocky road? Lol

 

[GTyankee]

I wonder which aftermarket company sells those flares to Mopar
Maybe Mopar can address the issue by having them use better protective film or at least apply the film they use using a different way, or maybe use some paint hardener or to be more pliable.

Mopar just needs to send that company a Change Order

 

[soapy]

I made my own mud flaps and have been on since new. I still get the rock chips on the flares, just always going to happen no matter what brand you buy.

 

[CheechDogg.0n37s]

Saw someone else post on here they had their fender flares coated in color matched bed liner. My Lonestar doesn’t have the flares but if I had them, that would be one of the first things I’d do.

I sprayed mine black with raptor bedliner, the front bumper and grill as well but in black .... almost 2 years and not a single rock chip ..